The key to a successful dinner party is to not be flustered or stressed on the day. You want to be relaxed and you want to enjoy the occasion. The only way to do this is to simply cook ahead. This does not necessarily mean you do it all the day before – you can spread it out.
Entrees – With entree dishes, if they are shop bought, it is generally just a matter of heating up before serving or putting on a serving dish before guests arrive. Any entree that requires some assembly on a biscuit base or with bread sticks needs to be completed in the 20 minutes before guests arrive – any earlier and you will find the bread stick or biscuit base will go soft. I look at the recipe and decide which parts of it I can make in advance. For example, dips can be made on the day or day before – they take very little time and can be made and put directly in the serving bowl, covered in the fridge and be ready to go. For many recipes, you can make part of it in advance and then assemble the final product before guests arrive. For example, Smoked Salmon Egg Crepes – you can make the egg crepes on the day or day before. Caramelised Onion Tartlets – you can make the onion on the day or day before. Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls – cook the prawns and pork early in the day, the vermicelli just before you need it and assemble just before guests arrive. Moroccan Chicken & Vegetable Rolls – can be made weeks in advance, frozen and simply baked in the oven ready to serve!
Mains – Any curries can be made 3 plus days in advance as they improve over time and you just reheat on the day. Most casserole-type, sauce based or slow cooked dishes can be made up to 2 days before. If I am using a slow cooker or making a slow cooked dish in the oven and the dish requires no further activity other than serving when it is complete, I make it on the day. This is because these dishes require most of the preparation in advance – often many hours in advance – so I have the time to do this earlier in the day and once it is in the slow cooker or the oven, I leave it until I am ready to serve! If you cook them in advance, you just need to determine the method and schedule for re-heating. I find it is easiest to put into a large oven resistant serving dish and slowly reheat in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. It works for most dishes and there is no risk that the food will stick to the base of the pan during re-heating! For fish or chicken dishes where you run the risk of over cooking, I prepare as much as I can in advance so all there is left to do is finish off in the oven.
Sides – Majority of salads can be prepared in advance but dressed just before serving. Some salads such as the Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad or Kay’s Potato Salad can be made hours in advance as the flavours will improve over time. Some vegetable dishes such as Italian Roast Vegetables can be made in advance. Other dishes where the vegetable only requires minimal cooking time or need to be served hot are best made before serving.
Desserts – I probably make almost all my desserts in advance. I find them easy to make and can easily make them a day or 2 before. I generally leave the icing part until the day – this is because I tend to leave the cake in the cake tin until I am ready to ice it – it is easier to store without it getting damages in the fridge in a cake tin than on a serving plate. By the time I am ready to ice it, I tend to have more room in the fridge!
ALWAYS think about what you can do ahead of time! The more you plan ahead, the easier and less stressful it will be. I admire the contestants who go on the cooking shows – I love cooking but not with time pressures. I enjoy the whole process because I do everything in my time, at a pace that suits me. I fit it in around what I have planned and it works well. On a Friday before a dinner party, providing I have shopped in advance, I can still go for a few after work drinks and then come home and relax and start preparing what I need for the Saturday dinner party. I assure you, you too can do the same. If you have kids, hopefully, you can do the preparation whilst they are at school or day care or after they are in bed. It takes time and practice but once you get into a rhythm, you will know immediately what to do and when!
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